


Pretty Spectacular

by queen_scribbles



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Post-Game, star-gazing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-16
Updated: 2018-12-16
Packaged: 2019-09-20 10:52:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17021307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queen_scribbles/pseuds/queen_scribbles





	Pretty Spectacular

 

“So... where are we going?”

Kaidan laughed and gave her the same answer as the last five times she’d asked. “It’s a _surprise_ , Em. By definition, telling you would ruin it. You’ll just have to trust me.”

Emily snorted and her grip tightened ever so slightly. “Kaidan. Babe. I’m letting you carry me piggyback with my eyes closed. After dark. Through an orchard.  If that’s not _trust_ , I don’t know what is.”

“Not my fault your wheelchair can’t get where we’re going,” he said teasingly, adjusting his grip so she could slack off.

“My point still stands,” she retorted, amusement in her voice.

“It does,” Kaidan acknowledged. “And I’m going to reciprocate that trust by choosing to believe your eyes are staying closed.”

The breath of her chuckle whisked past his ear. “Sweet of you. We almost there? My arms are getting tired.”

“Yeah. Almost there.” He hiked her higher on his back again so the stress was off her arms. He could see their destination and calculated the distance. “Just another minute or two.”

Emily sighed dramatically. “I _suppose_ I can hold on that long. I’ve missed arm day for, like two months. And don’t even _ask_ about leg day.”

Kaidan chuckled at her deadpan tone. “Between the PT and the home exercises, isn’t just about _every_ day leg day?”

“True,” Emily conceded. “And it’s been a good workout- why’d you stop?”

“We’re here,” Kaidan said. “You can open your eyes.”

There was a moment’s pause and then Emily rested her chin atop his head. “I give up. What’s the random chair on the fringes of your parents’ orchard for?”

He grinned, both because he’d managed to catch the great Commander Shepard off-guard and because nothing had happened to the chair. “Don’t you ever watch the news, Em?”

“Not if I can help it,” she replied glibly, sliding off his back and into the waiting seat. “When it’s not death tolls and memorials and images of the ‘lingering galaxy-wide devastation’, it’s yet another puff piece on the Savior of the Galaxy and speculating about my recovery. Why?”

“Just look up.” Kaidan checked the time on his omnitool. He’d been careful with his timing, and hopefully he’d gotten right.

“Is this another just trust m- _Whoa_.” Emily’s mouth fell open, barely visible in the low light of the lantern sitting next to the chair. “Wow...”

Kaidan let himself enjoy her expression of wonderment for a few more seconds--the way the lantern’s glow highlighted her face, the pure awe in her eyes--before joining her on the wide seat of the chair to watch the meteor shower. “Enjoying your surprise?”

“Uh-huh.” Her face stayed tipped toward the sky. “Damn, that’s amazing.”

He had to agree. Amazing, beautiful, stunning; the lights streaking across the night sky were a sigh to behold. The backdrop of crystal-sharp stars made it even more breathtaking.

Words felt wholly inadequate, so they both let the silence linger. Emily shifted to curl even closer when a breeze sprang up, Kaidan wrapped an arm around her shoulders to tuck her head under his chin, but they mostly just enjoyed the view.

Emily whistled softly at a particularly bright streak and shot him a mischievous smile. “This is where you should’ve asked, Alenko.”

“It does make for an impressive backdrop,” Kaidan nodded. “But the way we did it makes for a _much_ better story.”

She laughed. “It is a pretty kickass story. And I like it. This is just more what most people think of as incentive for a girl to say yes.”

“If I recall correctly,” he kissed the top of her head, “you said yes anyway.”

Emily hummed contentedly and snuggled even closer. “That I did.” She stretched up to kiss the underside of his jaw. “I love you.”

Kaidan pressed his cheek against her hair as he watched meteors flash across the sky. “Love you, too.”

They lapsed into silence again until the meteor shower started to fade. Emily stretched and shot him an appreciative look. “I have to say; that was pretty spectacular. You sure know how to show a girl a good time, Alenko.”

Kaidan smiled at her and made no move to change his own position. “Glad you enjoyed yourself.”

“I did. Only question: couldn’t we have just watched from the balcony back at the house? Would have been way less work for you.”

“Also more light pollution and less romantic,” Kaidan explained. “You’re worth the extra work.”

Emily grinned and cupped his face with one hand. “I’m so glad I found myself a romantic.”

He pushed forward to kiss her. “Happy to be of service.”

They sat there for a few more minutes, simply enjoying each other’s company and the starry night sky, before Kaidan helped Emily climb back on his back, and they made the return trek to the house.

“Thank you,” Emily said, after they’d kissed goodnight. “That was really breath-taking. Totally worth it.”

As they settled in to sleep, her back against his chest and the warm weight of her pinning his arm to the bed, Kaidan couldn’t have agreed more.


End file.
